New Releases by Susan Saunders

One memorable summer afternoon in a small town, a girl who is disgusted that her older sister is marrying and settling down listens to a story told by a contemporary of her grandmother''s, and from that moment on views life a little differently.

Kate returns from a weekend with torn jeans and dark glasses and a new, unpleasant attitude.

The Sleepover Friends are camping out with their class in a local park, planting trees, picking up litter, caring for orphaned animals, and sharing a cabin with their peculiar classmate Bitsy Barton.

CHILDREN''S BOOKS/AGES 9-12

The Stars, a club of fifth-grade girls, hire themselves out for odd jobs to earn money to fix up their clubhouse, an old stone building on nearby farmland, but discover that it is in danger of being torn down by developers.

A new baby in the family compounds Sara''s already shaky problem of identity as a twin in a growing family, and her town''s 150th anniversary celebration further complicates things as her fifth grade club competes with a rival club to win the most prizes.

Fourth grader Tommy Price, Jr., and his friend Bonnie Sue, whose families work for area rodeos, investigate the mysterious occurrences that threaten to close down the Red Bluffs Rodeo and stop country singer Mel Jones from performing.

Kate, Lauren, and Stephanie have each volunteered to host an exchange student. But when their guests arrive, nothing goes as planned.

Moving into a big old family with their family, young readers stumble upon a mysterious old cape in the attic that gives the wearer the power of invisibility.

When her parents begin acting secretively, Stephanie fears the worst, while her best friend, Kate, thinks it means a surprise for Stephanie.

Sowing the seeds of deception, the Sleepover Friends convince the usually prudent Kate that, when spoken to, houseplants will grow faster, and then dupe the unsuspecting girl by replacing the plant to which she had been speaking with a larger one.

Lauren, Kate, Stephanie, and Patti share their practical tips on everything from great-tasting food to fun party games, and pass along their ideas for recipes, party themes, and invitations.

Patti may have to move away when her parents are offered teaching jobs at the university in Alaska, and although she looks forward to the sleepover being held in her honor, she wonders if it will be the last one.

Every young reader can join Cousin Stevie in causing a chemistry set to go crazy and fill the house with bubbling green slime, in an adventure with several possible outcomes.

The Sleepover friends go to the city for a weekend. Lauren ends up with someone else''s suitcase, and he ends up with hers. The girls find a lost dog, see a play, and discover that Stephanie''s city friend is not a friend at all.

Jason''s bossy pet rabbit Robot, who harbors the secret that he can talk, insists on stowing away to accompany his master on a camping trip, with chaotic and dangerous consequences.

As the third-place winner in a school lottery, Jason wins a talking rabbit whose wisecracks get Jason in trouble with a fifth-grade bully.

A collection of children''s books on the subject of sleep.

Two young boys get more than they bargained for when they try to save the swimming pig star of the local Aquarama from being sent to slaughter.

Jason, new cub reporter on the school paper, and his talking bunny try to find out who is messing up classrooms during the night at his elementary school.

While investigating a mysterious light on the peak of Burro Mountain, young readers are plunged into an eerie adventure involving a ghostly cowboy, dangerous outlaws, and buried treasure.

The reader is asked to make choices to determine the outcome of an adventure during the making of a movie.

Who is that masked pig? Only Sam Pig knows for sure ... and he is not telling.